WITH missing tiger Jai casting a long shadow over the forest department’s World Tiger Day function Friday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar sought to reassure tiger lovers that the much loved tiger from Umred-Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary straddling Nagpur and Bhandara districts will “definitely return”.

“Jai has a history of being a wanderer. I have full confidence that he will return,” said Fadnavis, addressing a big gathering at the special function organised to mark the occasion.

Mungantiwar, meanwhile, said, “It is great that the media has been putting out stories about Jai. But I am 100 per cent sure that we will find Jai soon.”

The CM said,”Tiger is very important as it is at the top of the food chain. The Maya tigress of Tadoba has earned Rs 18 crore revenue for the locals while Jai has earned Rs 14 crore. If tigers are not there, there will be no water.” He also announced that a Tiger Festival will be held at Mumbai in November to boost tourism.

The Post Master General for Maharashtra and Goa Ashok Kumar Das released a special postage stamp based on the photograph captured by wildlife photographer Amol Bais that shows famous Tadoba tigress Maya and her cub in an embrace.